with the 2026 Shanghai Overseas Immigration, Study Abroad, Real Estate, and Enterprise Going Global and Financial Services Expo focusing on ODI services

Enterprises entering a new stage of going global

The three words' enterprise going global 'have frequently appeared in industry news and business conferences in recent years. In the past, Chinese companies mostly went overseas through export trade; Nowadays, more and more companies are choosing to truly target their markets for production, research and development, and services, upgrading from 'going out' to 'going in'. While the direction is clear, a series of new questions also arise: how to do ODI filing? How to get cross-border funds? How to operate overseas in compliance? The 2026 Shanghai Overseas Immigrant Study and Property Expo, as well as the Enterprise Going Global and Financial Services Expo, is designed to answer these questions.

The logic of Chinese enterprises going global is undergoing structural changes. In the past, going global often referred to selling goods overseas and opening up markets through cost and manufacturing capabilities. Now, the connotation of going global has significantly expanded - enterprises establish research and development centers, build production bases, participate in international production capacity cooperation, and build local service networks overseas, moving research and development, production, sales, and services forward as a whole. Behind this change is the accumulation of China's manufacturing industry over the years: a complete supply chain, abundant engineering and technical talents, and strong delivery capabilities. These advantages have made more and more enterprises dare to make long-term investments overseas.

For individual enterprises, going global means a larger market and a more complex business environment. The legal, tax, employment, environmental protection, and foreign exchange systems of the destination vary, and information asymmetry is often the first hurdle for most enterprises on the sea route.

From the perspective of industry distribution, overseas enterprises include both traditional manufacturing and foreign trade, as well as emerging industries such as new energy, information technology, and biomedicine. There are significant differences in the demand for funds, compliance, and market entry methods among different industries, and it is more necessary for professional institutions to provide targeted recommendations based on industry characteristics rather than a universal template. This reality also makes face-to-face on-demand consultation more effective than searching for universal answers online.

ODI filing: the compliance starting point for going global

Overseas direct investment (ODI) is the main path for enterprises to invest overseas through new establishment, mergers and acquisitions, equity participation, and other means, and ODI filing is a compliance procedure that enterprises must complete before taking this step.

In 2026, the 'Regulations of the State Council on Outward Investment' officially came into effect, which is the first administrative regulation in the field of outward investment in China. According to this regulation, investors who engage in outward investment activities need to go through the procedures of approval and filing, information reporting, cross-border fund registration, etc. in accordance with the law, and truthfully submit relevant materials and cooperate with the supervision of the competent department.

At the operational level, enterprises usually need to coordinate with development and reform, commerce, and foreign exchange management departments simultaneously. According to public information, the filing period for newly established overseas companies generally takes 2 to 3 months, and the period is even longer in cases involving mergers and acquisitions. There are also clear rules for capital outflow: after filing, the first capital contribution must be completed within a certain period of time, and then the first capital outflow must be completed within the prescribed time limit. The funds must be remitted through a dedicated account according to the corresponding transaction code, and cannot be split, bypassed, or paid on behalf of a third party.

For overseas enterprises, these processes are interrelated. Incomplete materials, incorrect submissions, and non compliant funding arrangements may all affect the overall progress of the project. Compliance is not an optional step, but a prerequisite for determining whether a project can proceed smoothly.

Three common pain points faced by overseas enterprises

Based on feedback from enterprises and institutions, overseas enterprises usually encounter three problems during the preparation and execution stages.

Firstly, the process is complex. ODI filing involves cross departmental and cross link processes, and it is easy for enterprises to overlook key milestones and delay progress by sorting them out on their own. Secondly, fund and exchange rate management. Cross border settlement, foreign exchange registration, and collection of domestic and foreign funds all require compliance with specific rules; The normalization of two-way fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate also requires enterprises to establish exchange rate risk management mechanisms that match their operations, with the core goal of preserving value rather than speculation. Thirdly, localization implementation. Legal environment, tax system, employment policies, market channels, and cultural habits all require a detailed understanding of the destination, and remote research alone is often difficult to accurately grasp.

These three problems are difficult to solve with a single source of information and often require collaboration from various professional institutions such as law, finance, consulting, business, and taxation.

It should be noted that ODI filing is not only important for large enterprises. With the diversification of foreign investment entities, more and more small and medium-sized manufacturing and foreign trade enterprises are also conducting overseas investments. Regardless of the size of the project, arrangements involving cross-border funds should be consulted with professional institutions in advance, and compliance actions should be taken before business initiation to avoid additional costs and time losses caused by post remediation.

In addition, going abroad is not a one-time decision, but a process that requires continuous tracking. Policy adjustments, market changes, and shifts in business focus may all bring new compliance and funding requirements. Regularly updating information through exhibitions, institutional exchanges, and other means can help companies establish a more solid foundation for their overseas operations.

Expo: Bringing together the information and services needed for going global

This year's expo has specifically set up a section for enterprises to go global and provide financial services, with the aim of allowing enterprises to avoid running away and compare more. On site, enterprises can have face-to-face communication with professional institutions such as policy consulting, compliance services, cross-border finance, legal taxation, etc., and directly ask questions about ODI filing process, cross-border fund compliance, exchange rate hedging tools, target market access, and other issues.

For small and medium-sized enterprises with scattered information and a lack of internal professional teams, this centralized docking is particularly valuable. Enterprises can compare the professional directions and service methods of different institutions on the same day and in the same venue, and then bring feasible solutions back for internal evaluation, which is more efficient than visiting them one by one.

For companies participating in such exhibitions for the first time, they can arrange their on-site itinerary in three steps: first, participate in policy and compliance related sharing, and clarify the basic process of ODI; Visit cross-border finance, legal and tax booths again to learn about optional service solutions; Finally, based on the stage of the project, communicate with the service agency in a targeted manner. With centralized information at the exhibition site and reasonable scheduling, it is often possible to complete the consultation volume that required multiple visits in the past in one day.

The value of exhibiting and viewing

For professional service organizations, exhibiting is a concentrated display aimed at a precise customer base. The exhibition is expected to receive about 8000 visitors in three days. On site, you can see both corporate decision-makers with real intentions to go global and individual investors, with direct communication and clear clues. Exhibitors can also use this opportunity to observe industry trends and accumulate information for future product and service adjustments.

For exhibition companies, free admission allows them to connect with various service providers such as policy, compliance, finance, and market in one go, compare their capabilities and quotes horizontally, and save time on visiting them one by one. Enterprises can not only understand policy and compliance points, but also meet potential service partners, laying the foundation for overseas projects.

It should be noted that the expo is open to both corporate services and individual investors. Whether it is a manufacturing enterprise planning to establish overseas subsidiaries or a foreign trade enterprise hoping to optimize cross-border capital arrangements, they can find corresponding service providers at the exhibition, providing a centralized window for understanding and comparing the overseas needs of different scales and stages.

Exhibition Information

The Overseas Immigrant Study and Property Expo, as well as the Enterprise Overseas Development and Financial Services Expo, will be held from November 20 to 22, 2026 at the Shanghai World Trade Exhibition Center (No. 99 Xingyi Road, Changning District, Shanghai) for three days, with an expected reception of about 8000 visitors.

To participate, observe or learn more, please call the exhibition hotline 13681692751 (same as WeChat) or visit the official website www.qs-expo.com.